Cornice



W. G. LEVY March 2'31, 1950 CORNICE Filed May 7, 1947 INVENTIOR. MY/z'am Lay Fl TTORNEV Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STAT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to cornices for the tops of windows and the like.

Cornices of wood, or other rigid materials, are commonly used in a decorative manner above window casings to conceal curtain rods from which window draperies are suspended, in much the same manner as valances. Such cornices in many instances likewise provide supports for the curtain rods themselves.

Due to lack of uniformity in sizes and shapes of windows to which they must be fitted, it has generally been thought impractical to prefabricate cornices. A merchant would necessarily be forced to stock too wide a variety of assorted sizes for economic operation, and in consequence, the usual practice has been to custom-build cornices to fit each requirement.

t is an object of the invention to provide a unit cornice which may be factory produced in standard size interlocking sections or panels in a variety of ornamental designs and which is so constructed and arranged that, with the sections provided, an attractive cornice to fit any Window may be readily assembled.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cornice consisting of a number of mating sectional units, which, when assembled, will be rugged but light in construction, self-supporting, and will not sag or open at the seams with the passage of time.

With the foregoing and other objects in mind, the novel cornice in general comprises a plurality of mutually sustaining interconnecting and locking sections or panels, the end sections of which terminate in returns for juxtaposition against the wall at either side of a window top, the sections being standardized and having mating sur faces and the end sections being provided in selected widths to permit assembly of a cornice to fit any sized window.

In a preferred form, the returns of the end sections are provided with diagonal mortises, facing the wall, for the accommodation of supporting hooks the upper ends of which bear on the upper internal surfaces of the mortises in such manner that the weight of the cornice tends to urge it toward and hold it in close engagement with the wall.

In the accompanying drawings there is represented a preferred embodiment of the invenr tion, in which like numbers represent like parts in the several views, and in which,

ig. l is a view in perspective of the novel cornice, assembled and in place against a wall; Fig. 2 is a perspective showing a center section and two end sections of the novel cornice aligned to be assembled;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1, and including a fragmentary sectional view of the means for hanging the cornice; and

Fig. l is a front elevation of an end section illustrating its various sizes.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the novel knock-down cornice i0 is preferably constructed of well seasoned lumber, and its central portion consists of a number of identical interconnecting sections l2 of uniform size. Each center section is provided with two parallel dowels it arranged one above the other, which are preferably cemented or glued in holes drilled for the purpose in one vertical edge of the panel. In the opposite vertical panel edge are drilled spaced sockets 6 to accommodate the dowels from the next adjacent sections.

To assure a tight fit and to prevent sagging, each section is likewise provided with a tongue portion E8 on one vertical edge, and a corre-- sponding groove portion 2!] on the opposite edge, so that when the cornice is assembled, even should the wood shrink in the course of time because of changing atmospheric conditions, no unsightly gaps will appear between the several panels.

End sections 22 are provided to interconnect in proper registration with the two outermost of the center panels l2, and having right-angled extensions or returns 2 suitably connected thereto by dovetailin or otherwise, abutting against a wall 25. Each projection 25 is provided with one or more centrally disposed slots 28 for the reception and retention of curtain rods at each end of the cornice. As shown in Fig. 3, in the end of each return 2 3 there is cut an angled mortise til, by means of a mortising machine or drill, in such manner that the cornice may be hung on the wall by the engagement therein between a hook 32 and the upper face 3d of the mortise 3B.

In order to accommodate the cornice to windows of any dimensions the end sections 22 are produced in a variety of sizes (as shown in Fig. 4) from which a selection may be made. By providing end sections. in numerous closely graduated sizes a fit to a particular casing may be achieved to any desired tolerance. In most cases, however, a fit to the inch is adequate and may, for example, be provided by cutting the center sections l2 in standard widths of 7 inches and the end sections 22 in a variety of widths from 3 to 6 inches in A; inch gradations. By

the selection of an appropriate number of center sections and proper widths of the two end sections, the cornice may be assembled to a /2 inch tolerance on each side to fit a window of any width. Should it be desired to equip an exceptionally wide window with the novel cornice, one of the center sections 12 may optionally be provided with a rearwardly extending bracket 34 to be attached to the wall above the center of the window casing 35, and to act as an additional support for the cornice. The bracket 34 consists of two slotted angle members 36 and 31 held in adjustable relationship by bolt 40 and wing-nut 42. The portion 36 is downwardly bent at right angles at one end which is connected to a center panel l2 by wood screws 38. The rearwardly extending portion 3'! has an angled downward projection 39 adapted for connection by means of screws 46 to a portion of the wall above casement 35. It is apparent that any other suitable type of bracket may be used to brace the center of the cornice, and only one variety has here been illustrated.

To equip a window with the novel cornice of the invention, it is necessary only to measure its width, select the necessary number of center sections and the proper width of end sections, and assemble the said sections at the site of the installation. The units are interchangeable, being all machined to standard size, and the dowels of one section may be inserted readily into the openings provided in the next adjacent section. The use of two dowels and the tongue and groove construction make it unnecessary to employ glue or other cementing means to hold one section to the other. By providing mortises 36 at an approximately 45 angle with the horizontal, it is possible to assure that the cornice will at all times hang in snug relationship to the wall, as shown in Fig. 3. The camming action between hook 32 and surface 34 causes portions 24 to be drawn tightly against the wall by the weight of the cornice itself.

By constructing the cornice of a plurality of standard sections, it is possible to employ factory mass-production techniques making feasible in practice a substantial reduction in price to the consumer as compared to custom-built cornices. The dowels are cut in uniform lengths from pieces of stock and are glued in holes or sockets of about 1 /2 inch depth in the tongue side of each section and protrude 1 to 3%; inches therefrom. Ihe sockets 16 are drilled to an appropriate depth to accommodate the dowels. All necessary holes may be prepared by the use of a mortising machine or drill press, and, in the case of the holes to accommodate the dowels, a multiple drill press can be used.

In the drawings there is represented a wooden cornice of scalloped configuration, but it is evident that any other design, as well as other materials, may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In the interest of economy, however, in order to minimize the number of distinct patterns to be manufactured, preferably the design of the cornice is of a continuous, recurring or repeating pattern, thereby permitting the highest degree of interchangeability among the sections. In the manufacture of cornices of a scalloped design, it is desirable to drill a series of holes 46 in the original stock from which the sections are to be made. These holes serve as orientation points in cutting the scallops with a bandsaw or shaper. The tongue and grooving operation may be per- 4 formed on a planer, and the provision of the drilled holes 46 assures that in the assembled cornice the bottom ends of the tongue and groove portions will at all times be flush at the uncture of the scallops.

While preferably, for convenience, the center panels of the novel cornice are fabricated as identical interchangeable units with mating edges, and the complementary end sections are provided in a limited number of selected standard sizes with edges adapted to mate with adjacent center sections, all the sections being coupled together by dowels, it will nevertheless be understood that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment hereinabove disclosed and that, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, the center sections may also be provided in a plurality of sizes and that couplers other than dowels may be used for joining the several sections together.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated knockdown cornice for attachment to a wall comprising a plurality of abutting interlocking mutually supporting sections including a series of standardized mutually interchangeable center sections and a pair of complementary end sections of predetermined selected sizes, said end sections having right angled returns adapted to abut the wall and be retained by supports thereof, whereby a finished cornice of any desired width may be assembled by selection of an appropriate number of standardized center sections and a pair of end sections of appropriate size.

2. A prefabricated knockdown cornice for attachment to a wall comprising a plurality of abutting interlocking mutually supporting sections having tongued and grooved mating edges and including a series of standardized mutually interchangeable center sections and a pair of complementary end sections of predetermined selected sizes, said end sections having right angled returns adapted to abut the wall and be retained by supports thereon, whereby a finished cornice of any desired width may be assembled by selection of an appropriate number of standardized center sections and a pair of end sections of appropriate size.

3. A prefabricated knockdown cornice for attachment to a wall comprising a plurality of abutting interlocking mutually supporting sections having tongued and grooved mating edges and including a series of standardized mutually interchangeable center sections and a pair of complementary end sections of predetermined selected sizes, said sections being locked together by pairs of vertically spaced dowels and said end sections having right angled returns adapted to abut the wall and be retained by supports thereon, whereby a finished cornice of any desired width may be assembled by selection of an appropriate number of standardized center sections and a pair of end sections of appropriate size.

WILLIAM G. LEVY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,499,826 Kassbaum July 1, 1924 1,563,619 Goodrow Dec. 1, 1925 2,448,061 Stenz Aug. 31, 1948 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,501,133 March 21, 1950 WILLIAM G. LEVY It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 30, for the Word thereof read thereon;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of July, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

